This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session from March 2018, opens in Adobe Connect. Effective formative assessment can improve student learning. Explore how the use of infographics as a formative assessment strategy can both engage students and improve learning. This workshop will help you understand what infographics are, what makes them effective, and how powerful they can be when infused into content-area instruction. Infographic creation requires the application of a range of critical skills, such as synthesis, analysis, organization, and creativity. In order to summarize and convey information correctly, clearly, and concisely, students must understand the material and their audience. Join us and learn how to get started using infographics for formative assessment. Participants will: 1. Understand what infographics are and the elements that make them effective; 2. Explore strategies for using infographics to gather evidence of student progress; and 3. Plan for student use of infographics as formative assessment. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

In the Classroom

The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session from March 2018, opens in Adobe Connect. Enrich and improve student writing with digital storytelling - giving written stories voice, imagery, and power. Learn to promote higher level thinking while students develop creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills to take narratives to the next level. In this workshop, we will begin by exploring ways to improve writing with story development steps and tools; discover tech tools for editing and sharing student drafts; and finally, discuss strategies for collaborative writing. Participants will: 1. Learn how digital storytelling can enrich narrative writing; 2. Discover ways to improve narrative writing with story development steps and tools; and 3. Explore a variety of web-based tools and resources to improve writing. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

In the Classroom

The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session from February 2018, opens in Adobe Connect. Making a learning environment accessible for everyone is critical to a successful inclusive classroom. Today's classrooms are diverse and include English Language Learners and students with learning challenges, whether they have been identified or not. Every teacher needs to be able to create and deliver content in a way that is accessible to each individual student. Fortunately, teachers already have free technologies at their disposal to assist with this. Join us as we explore strategies and tools that facilitate an inclusive learning environment. Participants will: 1. Understand the importance of accessibility; 2. Explore Microsoft tools that can be used to create accessible materials; and 3. Identify an easy new habit, hack, and/or tool they can adopt to help make material accessible for their students. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

In the Classroom

The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session from January 2018, opens in Adobe Connect. Inspire technology integrated lessons for student learning based on web-based resources. Learn about the features and benefits of your free TeachersFirst membership. This session will briefly share how to find and use resources on TeachersFirst to help you save time. Remember, it is OK2Ask questions at any time! Participants will: 1. Explore TeachersFirst membership features; 2. Identify and share resources to support classroom instruction; and 3. Prepare to use the features of TeachersFirst membership to maximize student learning. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

In the Classroom

The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session from November 2017, opens in Adobe Connect. Transform your classroom activities by learning how to use Sutori. Engage students and deepen content area knowledge through digital stories. Text, audio, video, discussion forums, and quiz questions bring additional context to content area instruction for your students. Use student-created visual stories and timelines as formative assessment. Brainstorm with others how you and your students can use Sutori in your classroom. Participants will: 1. Learn basic use of Sutori; 2. Explore three different ways to use Sutori in the classroom; and 3. Plan for the use of Sutori in the classroom. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

In the Classroom

The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session from October 2017, opens in Adobe Connect. Dust off your digital passport and join us on a journey using the new Google Earth web. Learn the key features of Google Earth web and how to incorporate this powerful tool into your classroom instruction. The reimagined version of Google Earth includes features that go beyond the use of maps and satellite imagery. Users can now explore the world with Voyager, Google Earth's showcase of guided tours, and try out the 3D button to view places from any angle. Leave with classroom ideas and lesson planning resources. Participants will: 1. Get acquainted with the key features of Google Earth web; 2. Explore interactive guided tours with Voyager; and 3. Start building your own Tour for Google Earth web. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

In the Classroom

The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.

Explore over 5,000 years of art in three exciting ways at this vibrant site from The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Along the menu at the top find Explore the Map, where you choose red or yellow markers to explore fun facts and videos about art from all over the world. Next, hop into the Time Machine to learn more about specific time periods, geography, and big ideas such as inventions or creatures. Also find, Watch Videos that teach about celebrations, share art made by kids, or provide detailed directions for creating your art.

In the Classroom

This site is perfect for use on classroom computers for students to explore on their own. Ask them to find information for a specific period of time or country and label what they find important using Webnote, reviewed here, then share their findings on a timeline (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Timeline JS, reviewed here. Enjoy the videos for creating and sharing art in your classroom. Take a virtual field trip with your students on an interactive whiteboard or with a projector as you explore the museum together.

Learn about children and youth in history through primary sources, case studies, and teaching modules available from this extensive site. As you begin your exploration of primary sources by world regions take the time to read the introductory essay that includes strategies for using these items successfully. Be sure to take advantage of the well-developed teaching modules including lesson plans, teaching strategies, and more.

In the Classroom

Save time with the ready-to-go, free resources found on this site during your studies of geography and cultures. Compare and contrast life in your area to those around the world. Have students create maps using Animaps, reviewed here, as they learn about children around the world. Students can add text, images, and location stops!

Immigrant Stories is a collection of videos sharing personal and family immigration stories. Add your story to the collection by following posted instructions and video tutorials. View all of the stories here. Each short video includes information about the participant and a downloadable transcript. Click on tags to find additional videos from participants discussing the same country or region.

In the Classroom

Have your ESL/ELL students share their stories here (with permission from parents) when doing a biography writing unit. Have all students search for stories of immigrants whose ethnic background resembles their own. Have each student choose one story to read about and share a quick multimedia project with the class, such as a simple online posters using PicLits, reviewed here. Ask students who have a relative who is an immigrant to interview them, and then use a tool such as the 3 Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to compare the experiences. This could be done using a story from the same country, or other countries. Use stories from this site as a writing prompt for a poem or digital story about an aspect of immigrant life, asking students to put themselves in the immigrant's shoes. For presentations of digital stories challenge students to use UtellStory, reviewed here. This tool allows narrating and adding text to a picture. For the advanced digital atudent and teacher challenge them to create their story as a game using Pencil Code Gym, reviewed here.

Military History Now is dedicated to sharing the strange, off-beat, and lesser-known aspects of military history. Scroll through the site to find interesting stories of the military from around the world, both recent and long ago. Recent posts include the story behind the famous "I Want You" poster featuring Uncle Sam and 10 Most Famous Battle Cries. Use the keyword search to find specific information, or click on related links in posts to find more information on a topic.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Military History Now is an excellent addition to any history classroom. Share information from posts with students to add background information to any topic. Encourage students to browse the site on their own to find little-known facts to share with others. Have students create an annotated image including text boxes and related links using a tool such as Thinglink, reviewed here, to share information learned.

Chronas is an interactive timeline of world history. Move the timeline bar along the bottom of the map to view the world map as it appeared during that period. Click on any country to see that nation's Wikipedia entry. Other map icons allow users to load images for the selected year and browse through data such as populations by religion and culture. Chronas includes many features buried in the maps and timelines, be sure to watch the short introductory video with an overview of the basic features. If your district blocks YouTube, this video may not be viewable. You could always view the video at home and bring it to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as Freemake Video Converter, reviewed here, to download the video from YouTube.

In the Classroom

Introduce Chronas on an interactive whiteboard and demonstrate how to use the timeline and find the many features available. Allow time for students to explore on their own. Use this site to reinforce your students' understanding of timelines. Have cooperative learning groups investigate a particular period or ruler. Have students create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Easel.ly, reviewed here, or Piktochart, reviewed here.

Watch the growth of human population from 1 CE through 2050 with this interactive map and timeline. A five-minute video provides an overview of population growth, use the drop-down box to view the video in several different languages. Personalize your viewing experience to adjust features on the map with themes, overlays, and map dots. Click on the timeline below the map to view additional information about events throughout time. Choose the menu to find all the resources on this site, including several lesson plans.

In the Classroom

Try using this website in science class during environmental science units on human population growth. Start the class by sharing this site on an interactive whiteboard (or projector) for students to see. Provide time for students to look at the material and to generate questions about it. Brainstorm not only questions but what students learned from it. Allow groups time to research the economic and social issues that have caused such a change in population and how people live. Challenge students to make a multimedia presentation using Sway, reviewed here, about what they learned from the different time periods or themes. With Sway, you can have music, photos, videos, and even make it interactive.

Find five decades of the Metropolitan Museum of Art publications available for free download or online reading at this extensive public collection. Browse by keyword, date, title, or topic as you choose from over 450 available titles. Choose your publication, and then follow the links for downloading in PDF, reading online, or other options. Not all titles have all options available.

In the Classroom

Share this site with your school's art teacher. Explore artwork from different time periods or places as part of social studies lessons. Encourage students to explore this site on their own to learn more about the various components of art. Have students create an annotated image of different pieces of art including text boxes, related links, and videos using a tool such as Thinglink, reviewed here.

Mr. Moore's Classroom shares resources used in his social studies courses which include AP US History, Debate, and World History. Each content area includes a course syllabus, learning calendars, and information by unit. Some sections include more information and activities than others. Choose the Presentations link to find links to videos, Prezi presentations, and interactive games and simulations. If your district blocks YouTube, then the videos may not be viewable. You could always view them at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as KeepVid, reviewed here, to download the videos from YouTube.

In the Classroom

Bookmark and save Mr. Moore's Classroom as a supplement to your current social studies teaching materials. Find new ideas for Debate Team. Take advantage of the free materials and planning information offered on this site. Share this site with colleagues.

Histography is an interactive timeline spanning history from the beginning through 2015 (as of this review), pulling historical events from Wikipedia. Drag the bar across the timeline to any point in history to view stacks of dots representing events. Click any dot to view the event and then go to the link on Wikipedia, if desired. Use the left sidebar to view specific topics such as music or politics throughout history. Be sure to take some time to explore this site by clicking around to find other options such as "Feeling Lucky" or to expand your view using slider bars at the bottom of the graph.

In the Classroom

Explore different time periods together on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Discover different events included on similar dates to help students understand an overall view of events during any period. Share with students as a resource for finding information and events to include with multimedia projects for any event such as the American Revolution, the Iron Age, or events leading up to World Wars.

Access more than 100,000 resources including art, audio/video, text, and interactive resources. With the robust search features, narrow searches by keyword, institutions, method of instruction, or grade level. Be sure to look at the interactive primary resources. Registration is quick and easy and does not require an email address. Begin by watching one of the brief videos that outline the Art Finder feature or Art Collector. Find answers to common (and some not so common) questions at "ask an educator" in the upper left corner.

In the Classroom

Start by pulling together a collection of video, audio, art pieces, or text. Mix and match your set or use one of the already created sets. Give the set a title and description once you have selected all the pieces. Attach a PDF to provide more information, questions, notes, or directions. Duplicate sets for use with multiple sections of a class. Create custom slides to include YouTube videos.

You can use the digital classroom section to discuss and get more information on fair use, creative commons, copyright, and public domain. Find links to information that can be used to teach students the correct way to use information that was created by others. Once you have created a set or found a resource that is appropriate for your students, have them identify the different elements and techniques that are present in the pieces. Students can compare multiple pieces of art that are either similar or very different. Zoom into an image to get a better look at the skills that were used to create the artwork.

For secondary students, use Arts Connected to research and compile a set of works that demonstrate a certain concept or idea. Use this opportunity to have students practice their digital citizenship skills by properly crediting works chosen as well as demonstrate learning. Students can save sets as a PDF and submit to the teacher in hand or electronically.

The Los Angeles Unified School District offers a large selection of resources for teaching history and social sciences aligned to Common Core Standards. Choose from elementary, middle, or high school to find curriculum maps and lessons. One very useful portion of the site includes lessons created in partnership with Reading Like a Historian, reviewed here, that engage students in the creation of historical knowledge. Both sites are a must-visit for anyone teaching Social Studies!

This engaging YouTube channel offers an excellent variety of videos for AP U.S. and European History and AP Government. Additional offerings include review sessions about South Carolina history. Each video explains different topics in history through lecture. Videos range in length from one minute to over an hour. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable. You could always view them at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as KeepVid, reviewed here, to download the videos from YouTube.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Mark this one in your teacher favorites to find videos to use in AP History and Government classes. Be sure to share videos with students and parents, especially videos with study plans for AP tests. Create a link to this YouTube channel on your class website or blog for students to access at home.

Use Q-Files The Great Illustrated Encyclopedia to provide extra informational reading resources. Subject areas include prehistoric and ancient history, culture, geography, space, technology, science, life, and Earth. Each article includes pictures with accompanying text. This collection is continuing to grow. Q-Files is free, online, with no advertisements. Ebooks on nonfiction topics are available for purchase.

In the Classroom

Use Q-Files as an informational reading source for a variety of subjects. In science and social studies use as a way to provide background information for inquiry-based projects. Have students use resources for multimedia projects such as Slidestory,
reviewed here, Prezi
reviewed here, or Flipboard, reviewed here, to share their findings. Pair these articles with literature to provide a better background information base, such as information on ancient China or Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin. Add as a bookmark to student computers and on your class website.

Discover how the five major religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have spread over the world. Follow this interactive timeline video that highlights the areas of the globe where the religion started, as well as the spread of each religion.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Give a basic overview of the timeline and events leading to each of the major religions in the world. Use as a resource to examine the cultural effects of a single person starting each religion and the reasons why the religion spread. Analyze the reasons leading to the spread of each religion. Use this in conjunction with a unit on explorers. The video is slow to load, so preload and check before using in class.